John L. Young, a computer-savvy architect, utilized his expertise to establish Encryption, a significant repository of sensitive documents that predates WikiLeaks and often surpasses it with an unrestricted approach to disclosing government secrets. He passed away on March 28th at a rehabilitation facility in Manhattan, at the age of 89.

His death went largely unreported at the time and was attributed to complications from large-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, as confirmed by his wife, Deborah Nazzios.

Founded in 1996 by former CIA executives, Cryptome offers a collection of leaked, obscure documents in the public domain, organized in reverse chronological order, displayed in a minimalist style reminiscent of typewriter output.

Over time, the site has amassed about 70,000 documents, spanning from innocuous National Intelligence University course catalogues to sensitive disclosures, including the identities of numerous intelligence agents from the US, UK, and Japan.

“I am a steadfast opponent of all forms of government secrecy,” he stated to The Associated Press in 2013. “I’m pleased with the exposure and advocate for complete transparency.”

Young often received visits from the FBI and his internet service provider. At times, he would temporarily shut down the website to avoid legal issues, yet he was never charged with a crime, and Cryptome consistently returned online.

Around a decade ago, Cryptome had already been operating alongside WikiLeaks and other whistleblowing sites. Young initially supported WikiLeaks and even co-registered its domain, but later became critical of its leader, Julian Assange.

Unlike Assange, who considered himself a journalist, Young identified as an archivist, asserting that as long as a document was authentic, it deserved encryption. He maintained that he held vast amounts of information without being responsible for its content.

Young, who had been a leftist radical during the 1960s, retained his critical perspective of the government, often suggesting to journalists that they could be spies and accusing former associates of being double agents.

With degrees in philosophy and architecture, Young spent the 1970s leading a design nonprofit in New York.

In the 1980s, he specialized in ensuring that building systems and infrastructures complied with legal codes, a mission that would eventually parallel Cryptome’s objectives.

“As architects, we are mandated by state law to prioritize public health, safety, and welfare,” he explained to the website’s assistant in 2014. “In the interest of public welfare, we should act as architects who monitor those in authority.”

Young was an early proponent of computer-aided design, sparking discussions around digital privacy that began gaining traction in the late 1980s.

He joined the mailing list of cypherpunks, a collective of hackers and programmers advocating for internet openness and resisting government surveillance of online activity.

During a time when most government documents were only available in hard copy, Young made a scanner available for free to anyone wishing to leak secret documents online.

“Cryptome played a crucial role in demonstrating the potential for internet transparency,” he remarked, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending civil liberties in the digital domain.

Despite having admirers, Young faced criticism, even from those who appreciated his work, for not considering national security implications while uploading documents online.

Nonetheless, he countered that his efforts were, in fact, beneficial to the government.

“Understanding your vulnerabilities and confronting them is essential; you shouldn’t conceal them,” he told The Associated Press.

John Lee Young was born on December 22, 1935, in Millersview, a small town in central Texas. His mother, Beatrice (Rhodes) Young, was a homemaker, while his father, Orby Young, worked as a patrol construction worker. They divorced when John was young, and he spent his childhood living with various relatives throughout the state.

After graduating from school at 14, he spent three years picking cotton, peddling religious icons, and selling Fuller Brush products door-to-door before enlisting in the US military in 1953.

Assigned to the German Corps of Engineers, he traveled across Europe during his downtime, absorbing the extensive architectural heritage of the continent.

In 1956, despite not having a high school diploma, Young enrolled at Texas Tech. He later transferred to Rice University in Houston, graduating in 1963 with degrees in philosophy and architecture. He subsequently worked on a historic preservation project in the city.

Young pursued further education at Columbia University in 1967, where he enrolled in the inaugural Historical Preservation Program at the School of Architecture.

A year later, he joined fellow students in occupying Avery Hall, the university’s main building, in protest against the plans for a new gym.

Despite emerging as a leader among protesters, he graduated in 1969 without facing expulsion.

Young’s first wife, Martha (Calhoun) Young, passed away in 1968, leaving him to raise four children. His second marriage to Marjorie Hoogue ended in divorce. In 1990, he met Nazzios, and they married in 1998.

Surviving him are three children and two grandchildren from his first marriage—Malcolm, Lilac, and Anina Young—as well as the memory of his deceased daughter, Dara. He resided in Manhattan.

Even after founding Cryptome, Young continued his architectural practice, collaborating with Nazzios to maintain the website in a cost-effective manner, contributing roughly $2,000 a year for upkeep.

He regarded it as a public service, a means of giving back to society.

“Individuals like John Young contributed significantly to the internet and its unique offerings during the ’90s and early 2000s,” Cohn remarked.